Saving Tuvalu tells the story of a community at the frontline of the climate crisis and the race to upload the nation to the metaverse. At the centre of our story is local filmmaker Venu and his team tasked with creating a world-first ‘virtual twin’ of their country. Their journey begins with a question posed to all Tuvaluans “If you were about to lose everything, what is the one thing you would save?” Working with metaverse architects from Australia, Venu and his team must find a way to capture the soul of their country as it continues to disappear around them. But not everyone is looking to technology for salvation. Young Tuvaluans like Simoea at the Meteorological Service are preparing to leave for a better life in Australia, while community elders like Rev. Alefaio believe that Tuvalu can only be saved by God. Our story explores the resilience of Tuvaluans and the collective will to survive – in circumstances that are coming for us all.
Kate Blackmore is an Australian artist and filmmaker whose films have been presented across cinematic, broadcast and contemporary art contexts. She has written, directed and produced over 25 short documentaries about art and culture for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, including The Art of Collecting and the Walkley Award nominated series The Movement. In 2024, Blackmore began production on her debut feature documentary, Make it Look Real, produced by Bethany Bruce (Staple Fiction) and Daniel Joyce (Projector Films). The film follows an intimacy coordinator on her quest to change the way sex scenes are created. Make it Look Real was supported in development by Screen Australia, Create NSW and the SAFC and was selected for the inaugural Doc Society New Perspectives Pitch Lab, and the Sunny Side of the Doc Global Pitch 2021. The film is represented by Autlook Film Sales.